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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. firm — steady
  3. firm — a company
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. scale — size or range
  6. firm — decided
  7. scale — in music
  8. shower — to wash
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. shower — rain
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. perch — the fish
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. sharp — clever
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. perch — for a bird

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com